


Forgiveness or Revenge

by WeaverOfWorlds



Category: Critical Role (Web Series), Critical Role (Web Series) RPF
Genre: Blood, Gore, Non-Canonical Character Death, Revenge, Vengance, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-29 20:44:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11448729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeaverOfWorlds/pseuds/WeaverOfWorlds
Summary: "What if you could meet the being responsible for all the pain your group has ever experienced?"Confronted with the man who tore their world apart, Vox Machina are faced with a seemingly difficult decision; do they forgive him, let him go and live with the deaths he's caused, or do they kill him, taking his life in payment for the countless lost to the tragedies they've witnessed?Forgiveness or Revenge? It's up to them.





	Forgiveness or Revenge

**Author's Note:**

> So a while ago I was talking to Drunken_Pilot on twitter and our conversation turned to what would happen if VM met Matt with the knowledge that he's the one responsible for all the pain they've suffered. And a few hours later, this fic happened.

_"What if you could meet the being responsible for all the pain your group has ever experienced?"_

The question hung in the air, Vox Machina stunned by the stark directness of the words from the cloaked figure's mouth.

The figure continued;  _"All the strife, every death, every loss. The Briarwoods, the Conclave, everything. I can allow you to confront him and do with him as you see fit. Forgiveness or revenge, it will be in your hands."_ They spread their arms,  _"So, what shall it be?"_  

Percy's previously calm face hardened, and a familiar chill began to emanate from the human. "Bring him to us."

Vax's fists clenched as the face of his mother flashed into his mind; the sight of Bryorden burning around him and Vex as they returned there.

Grog's face flashed with rage, memories of all the pain he'd seen Pike suffer at the hands of the world. "Yeah. There's something I wanna say to him."

Keyleth remembered the ruins of Pyrah, the deaths she hadn't been allowed to avert. "I'm with Grog and Percy."

A chuckle came from under the figure's hood,  _"Very well, so it shall be done."_ They snapped their fingers and a crack of thunder sounded, blinding light filling their vision as they stood in the grounds of Whitestone Castle.

When the light cleared they saw, not a god, but a man. A scrawny man in strange clothes looking around in panic. 

Grog's grin grew wider as he drew the Blood Axe from its place on his back. "Hello sunshine, I hear you've been the one causing all our problems~"

The man froze as he heard the voice, slowly turning to the group. He tried to speak but the fear that struck him left him barely able to think. He knew these people, knew this place. But it couldn't be.... none of this was real. 

The last he remembered had been looking through the first copy of the Tal'Dorei campaign guide he'd been mailed. Then he'd lost consciousness. His heart raced in his chest; wide, jade eyes locked on the towering form of the goliath before him. 

Percy stepped forward, drawing Animus with a twisted smile crossing his face. "Yes, according to our sources, you sent the Conclave to Tal'Dorei. You were the one who orchestrated the slaughter of my family..." Dark smoke began to drift from Percy's cuffs and collar. "You burned Bryorden, you destroyed the Pyrah."

The man staggered back, incomprehensibly stammering and struggling to form coherent speech or organised thought.

Vex swiftly drew an arrow and shot it at the man's feet, snaring him as the brambles held him tight. "Are we correct? Was all of this your doing?"

The bite of steel suddenly appeared at the man's throat and a soft and menacing voice spoke in his ear. "You know, I  _really_  hope we're right. Someone who toys with fate without the graces of the Raven Queen is a dangerous person to have alive. Besides, you apparently were the true mastermind behind the destruction of a whole quarter of Kiki's people. And I really can't let that slide."

"Wait." 

A gasp and a sudden rush of hope, and the man looked up from his hunched and closed off position. 

Pike strode forwards, looking up at the terrified human. "What's your name?"

"M-matthew..." the trembling man stammered. "M-matthew Mercer... I--"

"Is any of this true Matthew? Did you orchestrate all of this?"

Matthew's already pale face only grew paler, "I-I..."

The cleric glared up at him, "Did you?"

"Y-yes but I didn't know you were real... I-I thought you were all made up characters my players had made."

A cacophonous bang rung out and Matthew screamed in pain, jerking back as one of Percy's bullets pierced his shoulder.

All eyes were on Percy, and they all saw the smoke around him grow thicker. The gunslinger reached into his coat and pulled out the birdlike mask that he last wore when facing the remnants of his past the first time he'd returned home over a year ago. "So, can we take that as a confession? Did you do all this?"

Matthew shook his head frantically, "N-no! No this isn't real! None of you are real I'm j-just dreaming." He struggled in vain against the brambles that held him in place, weak limbs not enough to shrug them off. "I was just building off the backstories the others gave me, just made things more interesting for them to play... it's not real... it's just a game!"

Keyleth strode towards him, hate etched into every line of her face. "A game?! The deaths of thousands is a  _GAME_  to you?" She flung her hand forward and a wave of necrotic energy surged towards the helpless Matthew.

Matthew gasped and doubled over as he felt the life being drawn from his body, flesh withering and greying before his very eyes. "P-p-please... I-I-I'm sorry... I didn't know..." Seeing such hate in Keyleth's face struck him with as much pain as the Blight spell itself; the druid looked so much like... "Marisha..." The last word slipped out as nothing more than a gasp, a barely held back sob. "I'm sorry, the last thing I wanted to do is hurt you..."

Keyleth stepped back in shock, "Marisha?" 

Pike tilted her head to the side, "seems his fear is clouding his thoughts. He must think you're someone else Keyleth." She turned to Matthew, "Who's Marisha?"

His breathing was ragged, tears silently streaming down his face. "My f-fiance..." he pointed up at Keyleth with a violently shaking hand, "M-marisha made Keyleth..."

Vax hauled Matthew up, pushing the point of Whisper into his back. "Bullshit," he hissed, "Keyleth is her own person, not someone's pretend character." 

Grog growled, "C'mon, too much talkin'. Can we just let 'im run? It's been too long since the last time I chased down my prey."

The rogue chuckled, sending chills down Matthew's spine. "Sure, it's not like he can escape in this state." He made eye contact with Vex, "sister?"

She nodded. "Already on it." With a mere thought, she cast Hunter's Mark on him. "just  _try_ and escape us now."

Vax sliced through the brambles holding him and shoved him away. "You get a five second head start and then we send the goliath after you."

He tried to stumble away, only making it a few steps before his legs gave out. He collapsed to his knees in the grass, attempting to crawl to freedom.

"5... 4... 3..."

There was no point, he was in another plane. No, another universe entirely. He felt the blood pulsing from the wound in his shoulder, his tee sticky with it and the scent filling his nose. 

"2... 1..." 

Percy shot a bullet at Matthew, sending the steel ball through the man's thigh and tearing another cry of pain from his lips.

Vax grinned. "He's all yours big guy."

Grog roared and surged forward, Blood Axe held high, ready to swing down at the human's prone, shaking form. He brought the blade surging down, cleaving the left arm from the man's body.

Matthew screamed again, his throat raw and his body slipping into shock from the agony and loss of blood as he was only dimly aware of his life essence spilling out into the grass beneath him.

Grog kicked him over, looking him in the eyes, the scent of the blood and the stink of fear filling him with a predatory fury as he stared down at Matthew's white face and empty green eyes. "Say goodnight, bitch," he growled, voice dripping with sadism.

Through the thick clouds that filled his vision, Matthew could just about see the axe swinging down towards him before a brief, blinding pain overtook him and everything went dark.

Grog hoisted the axe onto his shoulder, it dripping with the man's blood. "Anyone wanna do anything with what's left?"

Percy stalked forward, smoke slowly beginning to subside. As he drew near, the stench of blood and greymatter filled his nose and he saw the body lying there in a spreading pool of blood; one arm lopped off and the skull split open. He removed his mask and stowed it in his coat, holstering his gun and walking back to his party. "Dump it in the acid pit under the castle, I don't want to see it ever again."


End file.
